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####&%;=^¨ several centuries after it had last ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ belonged to us, we went on an outing to ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ the glass factory that bore our family ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ name. it had changed owners many times ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ since our ancestors death, and then ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ stood abandoned for a long while. ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ finally, the natural end station for ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ the buildings that survive: a museum, ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ and a gift shop. ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ there's a long time since my family ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ made anything. by many, we would be ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ considered poor. ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ there are two main factory buildings, ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ domed things of several floors, made in ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ yellow brick. large but narrow windows, ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ reminescent of some cathedral. ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ custom-made glass, of course, large and ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ leaded, and ashen. a bit too dark to be ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ practical. on the eastern building, ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ some are shattered. ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ the other one is publicly open. there's ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ a museum, with wax figures of my great ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ great great grandfather, or something. ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ various tools (or replicas) laid out on ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ tables, with explaining texts. a lot of ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ glass of varying thickness. ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ %% %% ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ ======= % % ======= ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ %% %% ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ i quickly sneak out, and climb into the ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ other building. the contrast is ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ overwhelming. it must have stood ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ derelict for a long time, windows ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ broken, metallic trash and pools of ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ dark glass all over the floor. no ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ electric lights, but i can see by the ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ light that shines in wherever the dark ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ windows are missing a pane. ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ however, the greatest difference is the ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ higher floors: this building has none. ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ it is one massive hall, stretching away ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ infinitely above me. somewhere up there ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ is some great iron latticework, from ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ where chains are suspended, and parts ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ of machinery has been falling down. ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ there is, in the middle of the great ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ hall, a thin spiral staircase that ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ leads up there. i sneak over there, and ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ take a few reluctant steps. after just ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ a revolution, i notice that for each ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ step the building starts to glow, the ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ bricks turning a dark red, and then ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ orange, all the piled up debree being ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ lit from behind. ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ i stop ready to run down and out, but ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ there's someone else on the staircase ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ with me now, pressed close. he's ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ looking like me, short hair and thin ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ arms, but with ears from some animal, ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ and more disturbingly, completely made ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ of dark liquid glass. ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ %% ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ %% %% ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ ======= % % ======= ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ my fear holds me in place while he ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ starts operating levers and dials set ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ in the center of the staircase. slowly, ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ it starts spinning, circling upwards. ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ it's an elevator! i start to run ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ downwards, but now the liquid boy ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ creature grabs hold of me. i try to ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ shake him off, but he's too strong, and ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ pulls me back up beside him. ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ this time, i turn angry instead. what ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ the hell? who is this guy, acting like ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ this? i reach out my free arm and slam ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ a random lever. some metal bar is ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ suddenly released between us, hitting ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ him on the arm, forcing my release. i ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ shove him off of me, and he falls into ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ the levers, messing them up. ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ immediately, a thin rusty chainmail ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ curtain is dropped around me. but the ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ elevator also speeds up significantly. ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ the walls are flaring now, yellow, ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ white, almost blue. i close my eyes and ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ curl into a ball. but then, the glass ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ boy screams, a piercing sound that ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ forces my eyes back open. i watch as he ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ becomes too liquid, his body pooling ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ down in his now massive tail, and the ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ tip of it suddenly breaks of in a glass ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ drop that falls toward the factory ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ floor. ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ he's crawling on the stairs, unable to ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ keep his body upright. can't reach the ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ levers, claws at my chainmail cage, ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ while his body is turning into dark ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ pearls. finally, he's lost too much of ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ himself and the scream is cut short. ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ the last of him rains down. ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ i still can't reach the levers from ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ within my cage. looking up, i try to ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ make out the ceiling, but it's all a ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ whirling sea of colours. below me glows ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ the hellfire of the factory walls, but ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ very faint. i sit down, curl back up, ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ become still. ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ %% ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ %% %% ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ ======= % % ======= ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ a large clunk shakes my entire body, ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ and snaps me back into reality. i'm ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ back at the factory floor, but the ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ stairs are still moving slightly, ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ clicking in place, carrying me the last ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ few centimeters. i came from below, ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ somehow. the chainmail is retracted, ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ and i slowly dismount the stairs. ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=;%
##&%;=^¨¨¨ shaking and crying, i make my way over ¨¨¨^=;%#
###&%;=^¨¨ the factory floor, wading through dark ¨¨^=;%##
####&%;=^¨ glass marbles. a quick glance down, and ¨^=;%###
###&%;=^¨¨ i see there's something faint inside ¨¨^=;%##
##&%;=^¨¨¨ them. embryos? are these eggs? ¨¨¨^=;%#
#&%;=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=;%
&%;=^¨¨¨¨¨ i shudder, and climb back out. ¨¨¨¨¨^=;%&
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